


Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bridge

by redlipstickblackdress



Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Relationship(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-09
Updated: 2013-08-09
Packaged: 2017-12-22 21:40:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 11,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/918330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redlipstickblackdress/pseuds/redlipstickblackdress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor is rejected by Jane and attacked in a bar where two young women witness the attack.  Thor takes the two women to Asgard to protect them, where one challenges him and the other falls for Loki.  It turns out the attacker wasn't from Midgard, and Thor must protect his realm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Witness Protection

Thor’s heart sank in his chest; he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Jane was rejecting him. He knew it had been a long time since he had promised to come back for her, but he had kept that promise. 

“You are rejecting me?” he asked in disbelief, still a bit in denial about what he had just heard. 

“Thor, I can’t just leave and go to Asgard with you. I have so much work to do here. There have been so many new scientific discoveries and I want to be a part of them. I’m sorry,” she told him, the smallest trace of tears welling up in her eyes. 

“Understood,” he finally said, his voice a combination of hurt and a bit angry. He turned and walked away from her. 

Finding a small dive bar, he entered it and sat down. He needed a drink. He looked around – there was hardly anyone in there. In one corner a man sat alone, and on the other side of the bar, two beautiful young women, one with brown hair, one with red. The brunette was wearing a vintage black dress that seemed incredibly out of place in the tiny dive bar, the other wearing a denim miniskirt and green t-shirt. They looked like a surprising pair to be friends. The two women glanced at him and were instantly in awe – he must not be from their small New Mexico town, they would have remembered a man so huge and attractive, with his shoulder-length blond hair and piercing blue eyes. 

Thor ordered a mug of beer from the bartender and took a large gulp of it, still trying to process the fact that Jane had turned him down. He thought she would be happy to go back to Asgard with him, but apparently he was wrong. 

He was about halfway through his beer when the man in the corner stood up to go to the bathroom. A minute later a man came in, looked around, and smiled evilly when he saw Thor. He raised a gun and shot, just as the guy from the corner was coming out of the bathroom. The poor guy ended up taking the bullet in the forehead. The two girls at the end of the bar jumped, the smaller one letting out a small scream. They jumped up and ran to the other side of the establishment, having been much too close to the gunman for comfort. 

“What the hell?” the bartender raged, stepping out from behind the bar and walking toward the guy. This earned the bartender a well-aimed bullet in the head as well, and he fell onto the wood floor. Thor had stood up by now, but didn’t move. 

“You two have something to say?” the shooter demanded threateningly, stepping toward them with his gun pointed at the girls’ faces. The redhead was white with fear, her shorter friend crying. Thor stepped protectively in front of them, growling angrily at the fact that someone would threaten two innocent young women. “Well, this makes it easy,” the gunman said, putting his finger on the trigger with the gun pointed at Thor. 

“How dare you threaten the son of Odin!” he thundered, taking a few steps toward the man, and the gunman shot. Thor moved just enough so that the bullet hit his shoulder, and he yelled in pain as a red stain spread on his white t-shirt. He looked up, saw that the gun was still pointed at him, and roared with rage, about to take another step toward the man. The two women had shuffled their way to the door by now, and opened it. 

“Dude, come on!” the redhead shouted at Thor before the two women started running. Thor followed them out, running behind them, the shooter chasing after them. The brunette was practically in hysterics by now – this was a bit too much adventure for her liking. Her friend, however, had been strengthened by the adrenaline and was running quickly alongside Thor. When she realized that her friend had fallen behind, she ran back to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her along. 

“Come on, Lacey!” she encouraged. However, Lacey was already a pretty terrible runner, and also didn’t necessarily handle danger very well, and slowed everything up considerably. The incredibly determined gunman was gaining on them, clearly not wanting any witnesses to his crimes. 

Thor ran back to the two women, heaved the smaller girl over his good shoulder, and ran, the redhead beside him. Suddenly, he stopped. 

“Heimdall!” he shouted. “Heimdall, open the Bifrost!” 

The shooter was getting closer, and the redhead wondered why they had stopped, and what this huge man was shouting about. A moment later, the three disappeared, the shooter growling with frustration that they had disappeared.


	2. Into a New Realm

Soon, the two young women found themselves in a circular gold structure, the walls covered with wheel-like shapes of all sizes. 

“Where are we?” Lacey asked, her crying having stopped from surprise at the new place.

“We are in Asgard, my home,” Thor informed her. 

“Asgard? Like from Norse mythology?” the redhead asked in disbelief. 

“Midgardians have long thought my world to be a myth,” he explained. The two girls were starting to get a little weirded out by this clearly crazy guy. He set Lacey down and remembered that his shoulder was wounded – he put a hand to it and gestured for them to follow him. 

When they stepped out of the Bifrost, they stopped and looked at the view in awe. They were standing on a long bridge made of what looked like sparkling rainbows, suspended above crystal blue waters. In the distance, they could see tall, beautiful golden buildings and spires. It was a breathtaking sight. 

“Who are you, exactly?” Lacey asked. 

“I am Thor, king of Asgard,” he said proudly. 

“Oh, is that all?” the redhead said sarcastically, looking at him as if he were insane. “I’m Anne Forrest, and this is Lacey McMannis.” 

“It is an honor to meet you, fair maidens,” Thor smiled, kissing each of their hands. 

“Um…shouldn’t you see someone about your shoulder?” Lacey reminded him pragmatically although a blush had crept to her cheeks when his lips met the back of her hand. 

“Ah, yes. Follow me,” Thor instructed, and, not knowing what else to do, they did.   
He brought them through a maze of shining corridors until he came to two large wooden doors and showed them each inside one. Each had a massive four-post bed and some other pieces of furniture. The rooms were beautiful. Thor left them, telling them to make themselves comfortable while he got his shoulder fixed up. 

Lacey immediately sat on the bed, exhausted from the ordeal. She couldn’t believe what had happened – where were they? Were they really in Asgard? Did it really exist? However, these questions were soon edged out of her mind, her desire to sleep overtaking them, and so she kicked off her shoes and climbed into the bed, vintage dress and all. It was only a matter of minutes before she was sleeping soundly.


	3. Meeting Loki

Anne, on the other hand, had somehow gotten energetic from the adrenaline, and was bored sitting in her room by herself. Suddenly, the urge to explore this strange huge palace got the better of her, and she left her room to knock on Lacey’s door. When her friend didn’t answer after a couple of knocks, she shrugged and decided to just look around without her. She’d probably still be there when she got back. 

Turning down a few hallways, Anne was quickly lost, and decided to try turning into a room. She saw a large, beautiful pair of doors at the end of a hall, one of the doors slightly ajar. She opened the door a bit farther, cautiously, and couldn’t believe what she saw. 

It was a huge, beautiful library. The massive room was packed with tall bookshelves that reached to the ceiling. There were also a few cushy-looking chairs scattered here and there, and Anne couldn’t wait to pick a book and sink into one of them. She began to walk slowly among the shelves, scanning the titles, running her hands along the leathery spines. 

She continued to weave among the shelves, amazed at the beauty and selection of the library. She didn’t see very many titles she recognized, but loved being in the room, the peaceful quiet and the smell of the books putting her at ease. She was jolted out of it when she turned a corner and gasped when realized that she wasn’t alone in the library. 

In front of her was a tall, thin, man sitting in a chair, holding a book open in front of his face. He had glossy black hair that fell just past his shoulders, a pale, structured face, and bright green eyes. He was wearing black leather pants and black armor embellished with green. Gwen instantly found him striking and rather intriguing, but with a hint of danger. 

“Oh…sorry…” she started, realizing that she had interrupted his reading, but he closed the book with a thud, his eyebrows raised in surprise, a hint of fire in his eyes. He set the book aside and rose from his chair – he was not as tall or broad as Thor, but was every bit as intimidating. 

“I did not realize we had visitors from Midgard,” he said in a smooth, chilling voice. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your reading,” was all Anne managed to say, blushing. “Um…I’m Anne.”

“I am Loki, prince of Asgard,” he introduced himself, his voice running over her skin like silk. His eyes glanced over her and while his face didn’t change, something like admiration flashed in his eyes as he took in her short denim skirt and tight green top. 

“Prince? Oh, uh…Your Highness,” she bent her knees in a quick bow, not knowing how else to handle meeting a prince like this. Loki’s mouth twitched up into an amused smirk. “I’ll leave you to your reading,” she said, turning to leave him among the shelves, embarrassed at the way she had just behaved in front of a prince. The grin didn’t leave Loki’s face until she was out of sight.


	4. Asgardian Clothes

Lacey woke up and the first thing she saw was a beautiful blue Asgardian dress hanging on the door. She assumed that Thor had put it there in her sleep. There was also a bowl of water waiting for her, which she assumed was for her to wash up with. It wasn’t a nice hot shower, but it would do for the time being. She splashed her face a few times to get the dried tears cleaned off and then undressed. She had just managed to get the long, beautiful dress on when there was a knock on her door. She opened it to find Thor. He had presumably gotten his shoulder bandaged and had changed into silver armor with a red cape flowing behind him. He certainly looked like a king.

When he saw her in her new attire, a large smile formed on his handsome face. She felt her cheeks go slightly pink. 

“I have come to tell you that a feast has been prepared. It will begin in an hour,” he told her. 

“Thank you, Thor…I mean, uh, Your Majesty?” 

“You may call me Thor,” he told her. 

“Thank you.” With that, he left her to continue getting ready for dinner. She found a hair brush on the dresser and a white ribbon in a wardrobe and brushed her hair, then tied the ribbon around her head, figuring it dressed up her hair a bit. She also found a black ribbon, thinking it would look great in Anne’s red hair, and knocked on her friend’s door. Anne opened it, clearly having also been given an Asgardian dress; hers was green. Whoever had left the dresses somehow knew which colors looked best on the two girls. 

Lacey created a French braid with Anne’s hair, braiding the ribbon in with it. While she worked, Anne told her friend about the awkward meeting with Loki in the library. Finally, the clock on the wall indicated that it was almost time for the feast, so they left to find the banquet hall, having to ask someone for directions when they got lost.


	5. The Feast

The girls ended up being a tad late to the feast because they hadn’t been able to find their way there immediately, but when they entered the room, they were greeted with a welcoming smile from Thor. He invited them to sit near him as his guests, and some warriors in armor moved to make room for them. A beautiful woman who was presumably Thor’s mother was at his right, Loki next to her. Lacey sat at Thor’s left, Anne taking the seat across from Loki. The prince’s eyes widened when they took in Anne and her green dress. Anne blushed, remembering what a fool she’d made of herself in the library.

Everyone was grabbing at food from the center of the table and bringing it to their plates, so Anne and Lacey decided that they could do the same. Before them was a huge array of meats, cheeses, fruits and breads. Wine seemed to be flowing freely, and the girls ate and drank happily, not realizing how hungry they were until just then. Anne couldn’t help but notice that Loki’s eyes were frequently on her, his expression unreadable. 

When they had finished, everybody seemed to disperse around the room. Music was played, wine was still abundant, and people gathered in groups to chat, many people gathering around Thor to hear him tell the story of how the two Midgardian guests ended up in Asgard. Seeing that Lacey was fine where she was listening to Thor, Anne wandered to the back of the huge room, a bit overwhelmed by all the people and the festivities. She just watched the interactions. 

“You are not impressed by the king’s tale,” a silky voice guessed, startling Anne, who hadn’t realized that someone was standing next to her. She turned to look into the electric green eyes of the prince.

“You are surprised by this,” she countered, then added, “Your Highness.” Loki’s eyes sparked at this – he liked that she was being a little sassy. 

“You may call me Loki,” he informed her, which was actually a relief, since she hadn’t been sure how to address him. “Most beautiful women hang on the king’s every word,” he informed her, bitterness in his voice. Anne felt herself turn pink at the compliment. What was it about this man that made her so flustered? 

“Some women choose which words to hang on and which not to,” she retorted. Loki seemed to enjoy this response very much. However, Anne felt so awkward around this man that she decided it would be a good idea to make an escape before she said something stupid. “I should re-join my friend,” she said, then slowly walked away, leaving Loki to admire her from behind.


	6. The First Night in Asgard and The Next Morning

When the women returned to their rooms later that night, they found Asgardian nightgowns waiting for them, having appeared seemingly out of thin air much like the dresses had. When each of them explored their rooms, they found that their wardrobes had been filled with dresses and that each had been left with a small table with a mirror, atop of which were various grooming essentials, such as a hairbrush and some fragrant oils. Soon, a knock came on each of their doors, one at a time, asking if they wanted to bathe. They both did, so one at a time they grabbed their nightgowns and were taken down the hall to a room with a large, intricate tub, in which they each enjoyed a long, warm, fragrant bath. When they were finished, they slipped the silky nightgowns on and walked back to their rooms, crawled into their amazingly comfortable beds, and slept soundly. 

Lacey awoke the next morning and it suddenly hit her, what had happened the previous day. She and her friend had witnessed a murder, been chased by a gunman, and had run off with a strange man to who knows where, where they had attended a huge feast and been treated like princesses. Now that reality had gotten a chance to sink in, Lacey began to worry – she couldn’t just disappear from her life. 

She decided that the first order of business was to speak with Thor. She donned a gold-colored dress and brushed her hair, then made her way out of the room. She found a bunch of people breakfasting in the dining hall and joined them, helping herself to some coffee and fruit. Anne joined them soon after, wearing a purple dress. Loki definitely noticed when she entered, a smirk crossing his face. Anne was starting to wonder why he looked at her so much – it made her self-conscious. 

Eventually, the breakfast ended and the girls told each other of their plans for the day. Anne wanted to look at the library more thoroughly, and Lacey told her friend of her plan to speak with Thor. They dispersed and left to accomplish their various tasks.


	7. A Conference with the King

Lacey entered the massive empty room and walked past the pillars and banners along the open edges. She saw Thor sitting on a huge gold throne, a large hammer in his hand. She had to walk down a bunch of stairs to get closer to him, then approached more stairs up to his throne. Thinking she shouldn’t climb them, she stayed at the bottom of these stairs and addressed Thor, who smiled when he saw her in her gold dress.

“Um…Thor,” she started, although it felt weird to address someone by their first name when that person was sitting several feet above her on a golden throne, “I wanted to ask you…when you were planning on taking Anne and I home?” 

“Home?” Thor asked, his smile falling, “Are you not happy here?” 

“Well, no, you’ve treated us well…but, I have a job and stuff…” 

“I brought you here for your protection,” Thor explained. “That man in the tavern would have killed you and your friend without hesitation. There is no saying what might happen to you if I returned you to Midgard so soon.” 

“Oh, I see,” was all Lacey could say. He had a point – that man had seemed very determined to eliminate any witnesses to his crimes, and she and Anne had left their IDs in the bar, having opened a tab before they were forced to run away. The guy could have easily gotten their information when he killed the bartender, and could come after them. Besides, both Anne and Lacey hated their jobs. Lacey didn’t have much family and Anne wasn’t very close to hers. She figured it might not be the worst idea to stay in Asgard for a little while. They were treated practically like royalty, and it was beautiful. “Thank you, Thor.” 

“It is my honor, Lacey.” 

Not having anything else to do, she turned and walked back up the stairs and out of the great room, feeling like the guards were staring at her the whole way. She spent the rest of the day looking around the massive palace, getting carried away when she entered a beautiful, giant ballroom.


	8. Library Exploration

Anne entered the library in her purple dress, her hair down around her shoulders. She was hoping that she would get to explore the library more thoroughly today, hoping she wouldn’t run into Loki. However, the other part of her did want to run into him – he gave her conflicting feelings of attraction and uneasiness. 

She spent about twenty minutes browsing the shelves slowly, feeling the spines with a fingertip. Occasionally she would gingerly pull out a book with an intriguing title, exploring it, running her hands over the pages, smelling it, and then replacing it carefully. She had a feeling that these books were very deliberately organized, and was sure not to put anything out of place. She was sliding another tome off of a shelf when she gasped to see a pair of green eyes in the empty space. She heard footsteps rounding the corner slowly as he came around to her side of the shelf. 

“Did I startle you?” Loki asked mischievously, a smile playing at his lips.

“To be honest, yes, you did,” she told him, almost a bit petulantly, not knowing how else to handle how quickly her heart was racing. Then remembering that she was speaking to a prince, she changed her tone. “I’m sorry, I was just…I wanted to look at your books. I love to read.”

“Would you like a tour?” he asked, his voice as smooth as it always was, that wicked playfulness ever-present in his eyes. To Anne, he always seemed like he was up to something, although she hadn’t actually seen him misbehave. However, her face couldn’t help but light up – this handsome, ethereal prince was offering to show her around his beautiful library, and who was she to say no?

“I would love one,” she admitted, unable to keep a smile from forming on her face. Something in Loki’s eyes changed, almost softened, when he saw her smile. It was only there for a moment, and then the usual mischievous glint was back. 

“Follow me,” he instructed, something in his voice making Anne blush slightly. She followed and he walked her to the end of the library, starting closest to the door. 

“Here are the histories,” he began, walking around to the back of the shelf, “and the genealogies.” He continued to walk her along each shelf, telling her the category. “References. Maps. Poetry.” While they were in each section, he allowed her plenty of time to explore the titles, patiently waiting until she was ready to move on. “Epics,” he told her, once again letting her look at the books as long as she wanted, before they finally made it to the last large set of shelves, in the darkest part, and the farthest away from the door. “And these,” Loki said, something in his voice changing, “are the Romances.” He almost whispered the word, stepping closer to Anne and looking down at her in a way that made her face turn bright red. He almost looked like he was going to pull her into his arms and kiss her, and Anne couldn’t decide if she wanted him to or not. Well, she did, but she didn’t know if it would be a good idea. 

“I should go see what Lacey is up to,” she said nervously, her voice almost a squeak. She scampered away quickly, her heart racing, while Loki just watched her leave with an amused grin on his face.


	9. A Ball for Two

Thor heard the humming and went to investigate, finding the door to the ballroom half open. He peeked his head in to see where it was coming from, and saw Lacey, her arms in the air, humming and twirling as if she had an invisible partner. He found this highly amusing, but kept his laugh quiet so he wouldn’t interrupt her. He quietly stepped into the room, her completely unaware of his presence, lost in her little imaginary world. Finally, he couldn’t keep it in any longer and let out a loud laugh that bounced off the walls. 

Lacey turned quickly, blushing, embarrassed that she had been caught, and by the ridiculously handsome king, no less. 

“I…uh…I’ve always wanted to dance in a beautiful ballroom…” she tried to explain, although how could one explain such an embarrassing situation? The king was laughing at her – she was completely mortified. “Sorry, I’ll go now,” she mumbled. 

“No, please, stay,” he boomed, stepping closer. “Lovely maidens should not dance alone,” he told her, holding out a hand. Blushing at the compliment, she hesitantly put her hand in his and he strongly pulled her to him, making her breath leave her. He wrapped his arm firmly around her back and her hand got lost in his much larger one, and he began to lead her into a dance that was similar to, but not quite the same as, a waltz. She assumed it was some kind of Asgardian dance style. He was surprisingly graceful for someone so large, and she’d had enough formal dance experience to be able to follow his steps with ease. Lacey was amazed that the size difference between them didn’t make their dancing cumbersome. Finally, his mental song must have ended, because he lowered her into a dip and then raised her upright again. 

“You’re a wonderful dancer,” she finally said, making him smile down at her. Something about his smile made her almost weak in the knees. Then she felt ashamed, even guilty, at being so attracted to a king. She was nobody.

“It was made all the more effortless through your grace and charm,” he told her, which REALLY made her blush. 

“I…uh…should go check on Anne,” she mumbled, feeling a bit flustered. “Thank you for the dance,” she added before leaving Thor behind in the ballroom.


	10. Something in Common

Anne and Lacey spent that night before bed talking about their days. Although Anne was a bit hesitant to be stuck in Asgard for an indefinite amount of time, she eventually agreed that it was probably for the best. They then went to their rooms, had their baths, and slept soundly. When Anne woke up, she selected a black dress with gold accents, and Lacey chose a deep red dress. After breakfast, Anne as usual went back to the library while Lacey wandered around – she liked to take walks. 

Anne couldn’t decide if she wanted to run into Loki or not, but a large part of her hoped she did. However, she didn’t seem to see him anywhere among the shelves or in any of the cushy chairs, so she just scanned the books. When she was near one of the walls, she suddenly noticed a nondescript door she somehow hadn’t seen before. She knew she should probably leave it alone, but while she tried to focus on the book titles again, curiosity got the better of her and she slowly walked to the door, trying to talk herself out of opening it.

However, a moment later, her hand was on the handle, and it opened smoothly. Behind it was a small, cozy room with a small lit fireplace, a couch and some cushy chairs, and a table scattered with papers. There were also a few more shelves around the room packed with old-looking books and artifacts. She took a step into the room, mesmerized by how warm and welcoming it seemed. She walked to some of the shelves, looking at the books, pieces of art, and other items that were carefully placed on them. She had been looking around for a few minutes when the doorway became shadowed, and she turned to see Loki, fire in his eyes.

“What are you doing in here?” he demanded. 

“I…I…I’m sorry,” she stammered, her cheeks burning red. “I saw the door and I was curious, and it looked so welcoming…” she tried to explain, then realized she probably looked like some kind of nosy snoop. However, Loki’s eyes softened a bit. 

“I come here to relax and study, ” he told her, “or to be away from the king,” he added darkly. He then gestured to the seating near the fire. “You may join me, if you wish.” 

Hesitantly, Anne sat down in a cushy chair, amazed at how comfortable it was. Loki sat in the chair across from her that was only about half a foot away. They were silent for a few moments, looking into the fire, when finally Anne decided to break the silence. 

“You and your brother don’t seem to get along very well,” she observed, hoping that she wasn’t crossing a line by bringing it up. Loki’s eyes flashed to her for a moment, but he paused before answering. 

“He is not my brother,” was the surprising and somewhat bitter answer. 

“Oh…I thought, since he’s the king, and you’re the prince…” she said quietly, not knowing how else to react. 

“I was adopted by his father, Odin.” 

“Really?” Anne was surprised at this. Loki looked at her as if to say ‘what’s that supposed to mean?’, misunderstanding her reaction. “I’m adopted too.” Loki raised his eyebrows, not having expected that. “I have a sister,” she said, some sadness creeping into her voice. They were both silent for a few minutes, then Loki broke the quiet.

“As a small boy, I never understood why Thor was always favored by Odin. No matter how foolish or reckless he was, he was forever praised by our father. I never resented him. It wasn’t until I became a young man that I discovered the truth – I was adopted as a political bargaining chip.” His hands were gripping the arms of his chair, his knuckles white. He still hurt from the memory. “It suddenly became clear to me why all those years, I could never measure up to my perfect older brother.” 

“I’m sorry,” Anne said sincerely. There was another period of silence before Anne opened up to him. “My younger sister is adopted too, but you’d hardly know it to look at our family. Her every accomplishment is treated as a triumph. My accomplishments and goals are usually ignored.” Tears began to form in Anne’s eyes, and she tried to hold them back, her voice cracking slightly. “I always tried to make them happy, I really did. Somehow, I just never managed to be smart enough or popular enough or pretty enough.” A tear escaped down her cheek, and she tried to wipe at it. Loki leaned forward in his chair, reaching across to gently place his hand on her wrist to comfort her. 

“Does your sister enjoy books as much as you do?” he asked.

“No, she hardly ever reads, and when she does, it’s on an eReader.” Loki looked confused at the term. “Never mind,” she told him.

“Has she been the guest of honor at an Asgardian feast?” he asked.

“No, she certainly hasn’t that I’m aware of,” Anne responded, her lips starting to curve up into a smile as she realized what he was trying to do.

“Does she have eyes the color of the sun setting against the green ocean?” he asked her, making her cheeks turn crimson. No one had ever said anything so sweet to her, much less an absolutely gorgeous prince. 

“No…” 

“Then I cannot imagine how she can be more intelligent, popular, or beautiful than you are.” 

Anne blushed even harder at this, if that were possible. She was starting to have feelings for him, but could a prince care for her? Surely he was just being nice, she had to be imagining the way he was looking at her. 

“I should go,” she said, standing up and walking out slowly.


	11. Someone to Talk To

While Lacey was wandering, she found a beautiful balcony that overlooked Asgard. Thor was standing in his armor, looking out at the beautiful shining city. He looked deep in thought, and fairly sad. Lacey was going to go away and leave him alone, but he heard her movement. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you,” she said. 

“It is no bother,” he replied, and so she stepped closer and stood next to him, wanting to get a good view of Asgard. 

“It’s beautiful here,” she said, breaking the semi-awkward silence.

“Asgard is the most glorious of all the nine realms,” Thor said proudly. The silence returned and hung in the air for a few minutes, and Lacey could tell that Thor had something on his mind. How should she bring it up?

“Forgive me if this is out of place,” she started, almost cringing at how dumb that sounded, “but you seem a bit…unhappy.” He didn’t answer at first, so she continued. “If you want to talk about it or anything, I’m a good listener.” 

“I was in love,” he started, finally opening up about what was on his mind. 

“What was her name?” 

“Jane,” he said. 

“What happened?”

“I left her behind. I promised her I would come back for her, to bring her here with me and make her my queen. I was detained; I became unable to return for a time. Finally, I was able to return to Midgard, but she refused me. I was too late.”

“I’m sorry,” Lacey said sympathetically, putting a comforting hand on his huge bicep. “I guess she must have thought you weren’t coming for her and moved on.” 

“I gave her my word that I would return.”

“Yes, but it had been a long time. She probably thought you forgot about her, so she continued with her life.”

“She should have trusted my promise and waited for me.” Lacey bristled a bit. Sure, this guy was a king, but could he be more entitled?

“That’s not how people work, Thor. How long was she supposed to wait? She couldn’t just put her entire life on hold because some guy told her he would come back for her. I don’t care if you’re a king or not, she couldn’t sit around doing nothing for the rest of her life waiting for you.” Thor clenched his jaw, clearly not liking the way this conversation was going. “I’m sorry that happened…you kept your promise as quickly as you could, you did the best you could. But surely you can’t be surprised that after so long, she had moved on.” 

“She violated an understanding between us!” he shouted.

“Are you upset because you miss her or because you didn’t get your way?” 

Thor grunted and clenched his fists, and for a moment Lacey was almost scared – he was absolutely massive, and pretty intimidating. However, he just turned his back on her and stomped away.


	12. Between the Shelves

For the next few days, Anne spent a lot of time with Lacey wandering around the palace. To be honest, she was avoiding Loki. She could tell that she was starting to fall for him and it sort of hurt to be near him knowing that he probably would never feel the same way. After all, why would a prince love someone like her, when he could have anyone? 

However, after a few days, the pull of the library became too strong – she wanted to read. She made her way to the huge room and peeked in. She couldn’t be sure if Loki was in there, but she decided to risk it. She carefully and quietly browsed the shelves, finally selecting a book of Asgardian poetry. She slid it out from between the other books when a sudden voice behind her made her jump. 

“That is an excellent choice,” Loki said, his voice as silky as ever. She turned to face him, book in hand. 

“Thank you. I just thought I’d go sit in the chair over there and read it,” Anne told him, hoping he’d go away. 

“You are avoiding me,” he guessed. She tried to shake her head to deny it, but he took a step closer. “Have I done something to offend you?” 

“No, nothing.” 

“What, may I ask, is it, then? Do I frighten you?”

“No!” she exclaimed, surprised, putting the book down on the shelf next to her. He thought she was scared of him? How ridiculous. “It’s just that…that I…” she tried to spit it out to clear up the confusion. What was the harm in telling him, anyway? “You make me feel…” she stammered, blushing.

“I make you feel?” he prompted, stepping still closer, his voice lowering just a bit. 

“Yes, you make me feel.” Then she realized what she just said and was embarrassed. “That is to say, when I’m with you, I feel...well, I feel sort of—”

Even if she had been able to finish her sentence, she was not allowed to, since Loki’s lips had suddenly come down on hers. She was too surprised to react at first, his hands having wrapped around her waist at some point – she had no idea when. After recovering from the shock, she relaxed and began to kiss him back eagerly, her hands sliding up his chest and around his neck to play with the silky black strands of his hair. He was kissing her as if she were the rarest, most beautiful jewel – protectively, possessively, yet gently. When his lips finally released hers, he smiled at her. 

“When I’m with you, I feel the same way,” he said, then lowered his mouth down to hers again. They spent a long time between the bookshelves, kissing each other and enjoying the discovery of mutual feelings.


	13. Thor's Apology

Lacey kept a bit of distance from Thor for a few days, spending more time with Anne and wandering the palace. She had a feeling she had made the king pretty angry with what she’d said. She did feel bad for him – it was hard to love someone and be rejected. However, she found it ridiculous that he expected some woman to just up and leave her entire life behind for some promise he had made her years ago. Perhaps she should have been more tactful, but people who thought they were the center of the universe annoyed her, royalty or not. 

On Thor’s part, he was angry at first. He felt that Jane should have believed in his promise and waited for him. He was frustrated that Lacey hadn’t been more sympathetic. However, he also couldn’t stop thinking about her. People didn’t usually speak to him that way, especially women. He was the king, and he was used to everybody trying to avoid his wrath, telling him what he wanted to hear, and obeying his every wish. Lacey didn’t seem to fear him or worship him, she was just honest with him. He also realized that she was probably right. It had been so long since he had seen Jane, he wasn’t sure if he loved her any more. He was just upset that she hadn’t listened to his promise. 

Finally, after a few days, Anne said she wanted to read and went off to the library, and Lacey was left to go for a walk alone. She finished walking up a large staircase and found herself looking up into the blue eyes of Thor. She just looked at him for a moment, not really knowing what to say, not knowing if he was still angry with her.

“Lacey, I am glad to have found you.”

“You are?” She wasn’t expecting that.

“I apologize for the way I spoke to you the last time we met.” 

“No, I’m sorry, I was inconsiderate,” Lacey admitted. Well, not really…tactless, maybe.

“You were sincere. As king, I am not accustomed to being spoken to in that manner.” 

“I don’t have much experience with kings.” 

“I find it refreshing that you speak so candidly,” Thor said with a smile. Lacey hadn’t been expecting that, but she’d take it.

“Uh…thank you. I’m sorry you couldn’t be with the woman you loved.” 

Thor smiled and told Lacey he had some business to attend to, raising the back of her hand to his lips before leaving her alone in the hall.


	14. Kidnapped

Anne was sitting in Loki’s lap in a chair by the fireplace. He raised his mouth to hers for what had to be the hundredth time that night, his arms wrapped tightly about her waist. Anne couldn’t believe how much he seemed to like kissing her – as much as she liked kissing him. Her hands were tangled in his hair as she sighed contentedly into his mouth, then finally broke the kiss.

“I should probably get some sleep,” she told him, although she didn’t make any movement to get off of her cozy place on his lap. 

“I would not deprive you of rest,” he responded, placing a few kisses on her neck, leaving no indication that he had any intention of releasing her so that she could go to bed. She lowered her mouth to his again, beginning another long, passionate kiss. This went on for a while, Loki’s hands wandering up and down her back and sides. Their lips parted, tongues exploring, and Loki’s grip on her back tightened with passion. Anne finally broke the kiss again. 

“I really should go to bed,” she told him, placing one more lingering kiss on his lips before standing up. She and Loki both could have happily spent the entire night like that, but it was late. Loki gave her one final kiss in the doorway before Anne wandered back to her room. 

She knocked on Lacey’s door, but got no answer – Lacey must have been taking her bath. She just went into her room. As soon as the door was closed, a hand covered her mouth from behind, stifling the scream that tried to escape from her throat. She struggled, but the grip on her was too strong. Then, she was hit on the head and everything went black.


	15. Broken Agreements

Lacey hadn’t gotten an answer when she tried to knock on Anne’s door that night, so she assumed she must already be asleep. She woke up the next morning and didn’t find Anne in her bed, although the bed was made. Thinking she must already be at breakfast, she quickly dressed in a white dress and went down to the breakfast table. There were many people there, eating merrily, but no Anne. Perhaps she hadn’t been hungry and had gone to the library? 

After she finished eating, she made her way to the library to see if Anne was there, but she couldn’t be found anywhere. She wandered the whole palace before she approached Thor in his throne room. Lacey was starting to panic – what if something had happened to her? 

“I can’t find Anne anywhere. I have searched the whole palace and I haven’t seen her all day,” she told Thor. Without another word, Thor called for the guards, a small army of men in armor gathering.

“Spread out. We must find Anne of Midgard. Search everywhere,” he ordered. The men dispersed leaving Thor alone with Lacey. Loki entered the room, looking alarmed. 

“Brother, have you seen Anne of Midgard? She appears to be missing, and her friend is distraught.” 

“Missing?” Loki panicked. “I must find her,” he said determinedly. 

“Brother, my guards are searching for her now,” Thor said, causing Loki’s eyes to flash at him. 

“Do not try to stop me, Odinson,” he said bitterly, turning to leave in search of Anne. However, before he could make it to the door, a man entered, gripping Anne’s arm tightly and dragging her along. Lacey gasped – it was the shooter from the bar. How had he found them here? 

“Anne!” Loki shouted. 

“Loki!” she shouted back, struggling against her captor.

“Yes, Loki, I have something that belongs to you, just like you have something of mine,” the kidnapper said. Anne looked at Loki curiously. He knew this brute?

“Sharkosh, Let her go!” Loki shouted, running toward the man. 

“I believe we had an agreement,” Sharkosh said. “Now, I will hold up my end,” he added, tossing Anne away from him. Lacey ran toward her and they embraced, Anne a bit shaken from being kidnapped. She was, however, eyeing Loki cautiously, very interested in his connection with this man.

“I told you, there is no more agreement, I had a change of heart!” He shouted, growing more frantic by the moment. He glanced over at Anne and his heart sank when he saw how she was looking at him. With confusion, maybe even a bit of disappointment. He’d disappointed one more person he cared about. 

“I am here to carry out my half,” was the only response he got. Thor growled angrily at this point and began to stomp toward the intruder, but was pushed back by what appeared to be magic coming from Sharkosh, who was, in fact, a shaman from Vanaheim. “Once I eliminate your brother, you can be king, and I may have my Star-Stone returned.” 

Anne looked at Loki, and tears started welling up in her eyes. She had fallen for him, and now she was seeing who he really was. He had hired someone to get rid of his own brother? She had some issues with her own family, but she would never harm any of them. Maybe there was an explanation. 

“Loki? What is he talking about?” she asked.

“Anne, I can explain,” he started. However, he was interrupted by Sharkosh shooting more magic at Thor, causing him to fall back heavily onto the floor. At that moment, the guards burst in, trying to fight the shaman off. Many of them were staved off by magic, but a few managed to wound him with swords. Finally, Sharkosh managed to run out of the room, shouting after him something about promising to be back. Lacey rushed over to Thor to see if he was okay.

Once the kidnapper was gone, Loki slowly walked toward Anne. She just stared at him shaking her head, a single tear escaping down her face. She couldn’t believe that she’d fallen in love with someone like this. 

“Anne,” Loki started, reaching out an arm to touch her, but she slapped his hand away. 

“Don’t touch me. You made an agreement with someone to kill your own brother? That man hit me over the head and kidnapped me!” she shouted, voice cracking from the tears, her cheeks burning red with anger. 

“I was angry when I agreed. I wanted to be king, to prove myself worthy of Odin’s love, but I cancelled the arrangement. I may envy my brother, but I do not wish him dead,” Loki explained, but Anne was just backing away from him. 

“I trusted you,” was all she could say before she turned and ran out of the room, bursting into sobs. Lacey, having seen that Thor was in one piece, ran after her friend. 

“I am sorry, brother,” Loki managed to get out, tears forming in his own eyes. He turned and stormed out of the room to go back to his little study in the library. He couldn’t believe he’d messed it up with the woman he loved. Thor stood for a moment, trying to figure out what had just happened.


	16. His True State

Loki stood in front of the mirror in his chamber. Who was he? It was a question that had plagued him his whole life. He was the biological son of Laufey, king of the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. However, he had killed this father for his adoptive father, Odin – but Odin did not feel like his true father either. He was neither a true Frost Giant nor a true Asgardian. Searching for clarity, Loki changed his form…he felt the cold sensation move over his skin as he transformed, watching himself change to his true form, the Frost Giant form. He looked at himself in the mirror. Perhaps this was what he had always been. 

Anne jumped out of bed. She needed to take a walk to think about what had happened. Surely people could change. Loki had made poor decisions in his past, too hurt to think rationally. Still, it was alarming to find out his past – he certainly had never alluded to it before. It was very dark in the palace, but the darkness of the corridor was broken by a light on in a room, the door ajar. Curious who would still be awake, Anne couldn’t help but walk toward the door. She pushed it open slowly, but the door creaked slightly, making the person inside turn quickly to look at her. 

Anne gasped. It was Loki, it had to be. It had his clothes, his features, his hair. However, his skin was a bright blue and covered with a pattern of ridges, his eyes having changed from their usual green to a vibrant red. He looked shocked to see her, but couldn’t possibly be more shocked than she was. What had happened to him? 

Before her eyes, he began to change, his skin returning to a more human-looking color, his eyes changing back to green. Those eyes were full of fear, sadness, a hint of hope, perhaps. It was too much. Without a word, Anne backed up slowly, then quickly turned and ran back to her room as quickly as she could.   
As soon as she was gone, Loki collapsed onto the floor and began to weep. The woman he loved had finally seen him for who he was – a monster.


	17. The Star-Stone

Thor had gathered his best warriors: Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun, known as The Warriors Three, and Sif, a young woman who had become one of the best warriors in the realm. 

“There has been an attack from Vanaheim,” Thor informed them. Lacey was standing nearby. “We must go into battle to protect our realm.” The warriors seemed to willingly agree to this, although the four of them looked like they’d agree to do a quadrille on the breakfast table if Thor ordered them to. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Lacey said. The five Asgardians turned to look at her. 

“This is not your business,” Thor said, a bit testily. “My realm has been threatened, it must be protected.”

“It was one guy. Who apparently had some former agreement with Loki. It sounds like all he wanted was his Space Rock or whatever.” 

“The Star-Stone is kept safely in my father’s vault,” Thor insisted. 

“Why, though? Why did he take it from this Sharkosh guy? Couldn’t we just give him what he wants? You’re not using it; it’s just sitting in a basement.” 

“My father took those relics because they were a threat to Asgard,” he boomed. 

“How? What does it do?” Thor looked like he had no idea how to answer that, so Lacey continued. “This stone clearly wasn’t his. It seems like the fastest way to assure the safety of Asgard in this instance is to just return to Vanaheim what rightfully belongs to them. They’ll have no reason to attack if you just give them back their stone.” 

“With all due respect, maiden, this does not concern you.”

“I think it concerned me when you brought me here because that man from Vanaheim threatened my life in my home town. He kidnapped my best friend! You dragged me away from my home and my life to protect me, now protect me!”   
Thor just sort of roared at her at this point, the four warriors just sort of staring at this entire exchange. At this, Lacey gave up. Clearly he wasn’t going to listen to reason, he just wanted to start a pointless war. She shook her head at him, not a bit intimidated by his growling, and stormed out of the room. If he wasn’t going to listen, fine. She certainly couldn’t make him do what she told him, but she thought he was being an idiot. She began talking to herself. 

“Stubborn, hard-headed…” she muttered, slamming the door. That was when she realized she had somehow started to fall for him. How did that happen?   
She wandered down to the deeper parts of the palace and found this vault. She was curious about it and about what it contained. What did this stone do, anyway? It looked like it was just sitting there on a platform. 

Meanwhile, Thor and his warriors had planned to go to Vanaheim to fight the Vanir. They headed to the Bifrost.


	18. On the Rainbow Bridge

Loki realized that Thor would probably respond to the previous day’s events by going to Vanaheim to start a war. He had to stop his brother from making this foolish mistake. The attack the previous day had nothing to do with Asgard, it was his fault. He had made a poor decision in a moment of anger, and he regretted it. He had put his brother’s life in danger, not to mention that of the woman he loved. 

Rushing to Odin’s vault, he went to get the Star-Stone. It was gone. Had Sharkosh taken it? If so, how did he survive the vault’s protection? He ran, needing to get to the Bifrost, to stop Thor. 

Thor and the four warriors crossed the rainbow bridge to get to the Bifrost, but when they got there, Sharkosh was back with a few henchmen. He had somehow managed to capture Anne again and one of his goons was holding her over the edge of the bridge, above the crashing water. Thor’s grip on his hammer tightened – Mjolnir was practically begging to be used on these scoundrels.  
Loki ran across the bridge and saw what was going on. 

“Anne!” he shouted. If they hurt her, he would end every last one of them. 

“Perhaps this will give you motivation to return the Star-Stone,” Sharkosh said. His henchman moved Anne further over the edge as if he were going to drop her, for the sake of scaring Loki. 

“I don’t have it!” Loki yelled, panicking and running up next to the brute that was holding Anne over the edge. “Anne, I won’t let them hurt you!” Loki promised. She just looked at him, fear in her eyes, unable to speak.

“I do,” a voice said strongly, and everybody turned to see that Lacey had joined them on the bridge, holding up a shiny stone that looked like an oversized diamond. 

“You dare disobey me!” Thor thundered, growling and stepping toward her. 

“SHUT UP!” Lacey yelled at him, making Thor stop with surprise. For someone so tiny, she suddenly seemed to pack quite a punch. Sharkosh addressed her.

“Give me the stone.” 

“You may have your stone as soon as my best friend is out of danger,” she negotiated. 

“Give me the stone, now, or she will fall,” Sharkosh said. 

“Well, you talked me into it,” Lacey shrugged. “I don’t care about this rock.” She tossed it over to Sharkosh. 

“NO!” Thor roared, stomping toward the shaman. 

“Thank you for your cooperation,” the Vanir said. However, he was still angry with Loki for breaking their agreement. He wanted to mess with him. So, he gestured to his man, who hit Anne over the head before dropping her over the edge. Loki jumped onto his stomach on the bridge, extending an arm to catch her. 

“Anne!” he shouted again, but could not reach her. Quickly standing up, he jumped into the water after her. When he splashed into the water, he quickly found Anne where she was sinking and dragged her up to the surface. He frantically began to swim toward the closest shore, finally reaching it and tossing her up onto a flat rock, collapsing beside her to catch his breath. He recovered from the exhaustion and rolled over to her. He began to shake her gently, hoping she wasn’t dead. “Anne! Anne!” She didn’t wake up and he lowered his head to her shoulder, weeping and running his fingers through her wet hair. After a few minutes, she suddenly started coughing up water. “Anne! You’re safe!” Her eyes opened and she looked up at him for a moment, gasping for air and clutching his sleeve. A moment later, her eyes closed again and she went limp, passing out from shock. Loki lifted her into his arms and began making his way back toward the palace to get her into a bed. 

Meanwhile, on the bridge, Thor was making animalistic noises of anger as he fought Sharkosh’s men, hitting one of them off the bridge with his hammer. Lacey approached Sharkosh, her chin high. She wasn’t afraid of him, for some reason. He had gotten what he wanted and still chose not to return her friend safely to her, and she was enraged. 

“You have declared war on Asgard,” she told him. “I highly recommend you return to your realm and prepare an army.” Thor stopped what he was doing to turn and look at her. He tried not to find it what she had just said unbelievably sexy. The first time he had met her, she had just seemed distraught and terrified in the face of adversity. Now, she was amazed at how strong and fearless she was. He didn’t know what had caused the change in her, but he liked it. While he was distracted, a henchman threw him back with magic. 

What had, in fact, changed Lacey was Asgard. She somehow felt like she belonged here. Part of it was also Thor. She had grown to deeply care about him and his realm, and she also loved her friend more than anything. Somehow, all that love for so many things had made her heart stronger. She wasn’t about to let some guy destroy everything she cared about. 

“We do not want a war – our battle is not with you, but with Loki.” 

“Fortunately for you, it seems that he has saved my friend. If you go back to Vanaheim and never return, perhaps you will be allowed your lives.” 

Sharkosh glared at her for a moment, trying to decide if she was bluffing. He also was a bit confused – who was this young woman? However, he decided it would be best not to test her, so he turned with his remaining henchmen into the Bifrost and disappeared.


	19. Anne and Loki

Anne woke up and it took her a moment to realize where she was. In her bed. She felt delightfully warm and comfortable. She had no idea how long she had slept. The last thing she remembered was all that kerfuffle on the rainbow bridge and a quick glimpse at Loki. 

Loki. 

She turned her head and saw that he was sitting in a chair by her bed, asleep. Sitting up, she reached over to touch his hand. He snapped awake and Anne quickly removed her hand, putting it back on the blanket and looking into her lap. She had no idea what to say to him. 

“You saved me,” she started. He didn’t answer right away. “Thank you.” 

“I was sitting here to see that you were alright,” he told her. “I will leave you alone,” he said sadly, standing up and walking toward the door. 

“Loki, wait.” He paused near the door, looking at her. She found herself a bit lost for words again, but finally just started speaking, not even caring what was coming out of her mouth. “Once, when I was little, I used to tell my parents that my sister had lied so that she would get in trouble even when she didn’t.” Loki looked a bit confused at this, but Anne knew she had a point and was just trying to get to it. “Another time I pushed her down the driveway in a wagon.” 

“Why are you telling me this?” he asked. At this point, Anne decided to get out of bed, to get closer to him. 

“Because even if you love someone, sometimes you hurt them. Everybody makes mistakes, Loki. You learned from yours. You don’t have to beat yourself up.” Loki looked at her carefully for a moment before speaking. 

“I’m not human,” he told her, the sadness returning to his voice. 

“I know.” 

“I’m a Frost Giant, from Jotunheim,” he told her, stepping a bit closer toward her. 

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” 

“I did not want you to think that I am a monster,” he said, tears starting to form in his eyes. Surely she couldn’t still love him, he thought. 

Anne walked over to him and put a hand on his face before rising up on her toes to press her lips to his. He kissed her back passionately, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. When they were both close to out of breath, Anne broke the kiss. 

“Loki, I don’t care that you aren’t human or what you did in the past. I love you.” 

With that, Loki lowered his mouth back down to hers. The kiss became more and more passionate, his tongue sliding past her lips to explore her mouth. Their hands began to wander, and Anne grabbed him by the back of the neck and began walking them toward the bed, collapsing backwards onto it. Loki began kissing down her neck. 

“I love you, Anne. You are mine,” he purred sexily against her neck, making her tremble with desire. 

“I am all yours, Loki,” she gasped, beginning to pull at his armor, then pausing. “How do you get this off?” 

Laughing wickedly, Loki lifted himself off of her and quickly removed the top half of his armor before he put he lowered himself back down on top of her and kissed her deeply. He slid a hand up to her chest and his mouth left hers to move to her ear, sucking her earlobe into his mouth. She moaned, gripping his bare shoulders, before he quickly worked on making sure they were more equally attired.


	20. Lacey and Thor

Lacey awoke the next morning and quietly opened Anne’s door to make sure she was okay after the traumatizing experience yesterday. She was surprised to find that her friend was not alone. She saw Loki and Anne happily asleep in the bed, spooning, the sheet pulled up to their chests, although they were clearly not clothed. Lacey quickly left the room and closed the door quietly. Well, apparently Anne and Loki had made up. That was good. Lacey had never seen Anne happier than she had been with Loki. 

She quickly dressed in a red and gold gown, wrapped her head with a gold ribbon, and went to breakfast. When she was finished, she was informed that Thor wanted to see her, so she went to his throne room. 

“Lacey!” he boomed. 

“You wanted to see me?” 

“You disobeyed me.” 

“You aren’t my king,” she pointed out. 

“I know.” She didn’t understand what his point was. “Yesterday you showed great bravery and wisdom in the face of danger.” 

“Oh…thank you. I couldn’t stand by and let the people I cared about get hurt.” 

“Despite the fact that Asgard is not your home, you fiercely defended it against an enemy attack.”

“Well…to be honest…I sort of love it here,” she confessed. 

“You would make a great queen of Asgard,” Thor told her, smiling down at her. Lacey turned bright red. What was he trying to say? Was he proposing to her? 

“Um…thanks?” was all she could think to reply. Then, something in Thor’s eyes made her smile at him. Maybe with time, she could be his queen. However, it was a bit soon for that, in her opinion. “Perhaps we should just start with a kiss.” 

Thor smiled down at her and stood from his throne, walking toward her. He put a hand on her back and pulled her closer until she slammed against his body. She’d have to work on that next – he could learn to be more gentle. However, she rose up on her toes and put her hands on his chest as his head lowered. He brought his mouth down firmly on hers, exhaling as he kissed her passionately. Lacey wrapped her arms around his neck to try to pull her head up to kiss him more easily. Sensing that the height difference was making the kissing experience not optimal, Thor lifted her up as if she weighed nothing, a low rumble coming out of his throat as her mouth moved more effectively on his. He broke the kiss and put her back down, smiling down at her. 

“I think I’m going to need to do a lot more kissing before I decide I’m ready to be queen,” Lacey told him, and Thor grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs to the throne, sitting down on it before pulling her into his lap. Her mouth met his again as they began to kiss furiously, the two guards standing on either side of the throne giving each other an awkward look before turning to leave, deciding that their services were not needed at the moment. 

Loki and Anne had, by this time, dressed and eaten, and had made their way to the throne room. Loki wanted to make things right with Thor. They could not have been more surprised when they walked in, hand-in-hand, to find Lacey sitting in the king’s lap, making out with him. 

Anne cleared her throat and Lacey jumped up off of Thor, blushing and smoothing her hair. Loki and Anne tried, but failed, to suppress their laughter, making Lacey and Thor even more embarrassed. However, soon the laughter was contagious and spread to them as well. Not one of them could ever remember being happier.


	21. Bonus Chapter: Bedtime

Anne went into the bedroom Loki now shared with her. She didn’t see him anywhere, so she figured he must be coming to bed fairly soon and tucked back the covers so that she could get in bed and wait for him. While she was folding the blankets back, suddenly, her nightgown and undergarments disappeared magically. 

“Loki,” she scolded jokingly, knowing that he must have hidden somewhere in the room. She heard a mischievous laugh. He emerged from behind the curtains, fully clothed, and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her eagerly, his tongue instantly sliding into her mouth. His hands explored her body, wandering over every part of her skin that they could reach. He moved his mouth to her neck. She began tugging at his armor – she still had no idea how to get the stupid thing off. 

“Loki,” Anne panted desperately. “Help me.” 

“What’s the fun in that?” he teased, nibbling at her ear. “I undressed you; it’s only fair that you undress me.” 

He replaced his mouth on hers and they moved to the bed, Loki settling himself on top of her. She began to fiddle with his garments some more, frustratedly trying to figure out how to remove them while his mouth and his hands teased her. She was trembling with desire and still hadn’t made it very far with his armor. 

“Loki, please,” she begged, needing him to be undressed. Loki finally laughed against her collar bone and magically removed his clothes, his own needs making him impatient. 

***

Lacey entered Thor’s bedroom and found him standing in nothing but some thin white pants that matched the thin, skimpy nightgown he had given her. His body was glorious. He smiled at her before reclining on the bed and giving her a suggestive look that made her think she should join him. She crawled onto the bed next to him and lowered her mouth to his, and before long his mouth had opened to allow her tongue to explore. 

She rolled on top of him, adjusting her head so that he could place surprisingly gentle kisses along her neck. He moved his mouth back to hers as his hands ran down her back and teased the sensitive spot on her lower spine, causing her to roughly dig her fingernails into his chest. He growled appreciatively into her mouth and began to slide the straps of her nightgown down her shoulders, his tongue tracing down her neck before his mouth settled on her collarbone. Lacey’s hands slid up to grip handfuls of his hair, making him moan passionately against her skin. Before long, she was sliding his pants off of him, her nightgown also being removed in the process. 

*

It wasn’t until Lacey opened her eyes the next morning and looked at Thor’s sleeping face that she realized that she would love nothing more than to be his queen someday.


End file.
